NEW Scotland coach Matt Williams is following the example of Wales counterpart Steve Hansen by appointing a number of captains for this season's Six Nations tournament, writes Andy Howell.

NEW Scotland coach Matt Williams is following the example of Wales counterpart Steve Hansen by appointing a number of captains for this season's Six Nations tournament, writes Andy Howell.

Williams insists there will be a collective responsibility until a new skipper emerges, but admits it could be two years before a successor to Bryan Redpath is found.

Wales are Scotland's opening opponents at the Millennium Stadium on February 14, and Williams is unlikely to decide on a permanent leader by then.

Redpath retired from international rugby following last year's World Cup in Australia, prompting Williams to copy the Wales model employed by Hansen during last season's Six Nations and the summer tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Colin Charvis, Martyn Williams, Stephen Jones and Robin McBryde were made joint leaders, although Charvis was made captain for the World Cup.

"We have settled on a group of players and the captain will come from that group," said Scottish chief Williams.

"We have a traditional concept of the captaincy. But, we feel, if we name one player then other players then walk away from their responsibility as leaders.

"So we are more looking on the lines that there's a leadership group and we might have different captains in various games. Over the next two years a captain will emerge from this group.

"There's a change in philosophy over a lot of areas of rugby and it is like that with the captaincy.

"Martin Johnson was a colossus as World Cup captain for England but there were leaders strewn throughout that side.

"We have to take that philosophy where we encourage the leaders to come forward.

"To do that we have to move the captaincy around, not to dilute the honour of being the captain of Scotland but to enhance the group so that the performance of Scotland is enhanced.

"I would not go as far as saying there will be five different captains for the five Six Nations games. What I am saying is that there might be a captain for the Six Nations and then another for the Australian tour.

"We will make that clear to the players so that they do not feel disenfranchised or that they have been dropped."